How to cook the perfect roast beef – rare, medium and well done

Cooking the perfect roast beef is an art. Whether you like your beef rare or well done – there are some things to remember – from getting the temperature of the oven just right to letting your roast rest.

Ah, roast beef. We South Africans love a good ol’ steak on the braai, but let’s not scoff at the good old joint of roast beef, especially when the temperatures start to drop a little bit.

Sure, some of us are lucky enough to have an inside braai. And yes, braai potatoes are great. Roosterbrood is awesome. But there is something really special about the perfect joint roasting away in the oven served with roasted veggies and crispy golden potatoes cooked in duck fat.

On a cold winter’s day – especially if you live in parts of South Africa where it gets rainy – the smell of a good roast comes with a certain amount of comfort.

But cooking the perfect roast can be tricky. It’s so easy to overcook it. And hey, if you’re one of those food philistines who like to cook their meat beyond recognition, no judgies here – you’ve got it easy.

But even if you do prefer your meat beyond wiping it’s bum and walking it past the coals – there is still a good amount of technique involved.

So, settle down and let’s go on a journey of how to cook the perfect roast beef – whether you like it rare, medium or well done.

First things first… the cut.

Which cut makes the perfect roast beef?

The jury is out on this one, sort of. Traditionally, it’s silverside or topside that goes in the oven. But sustainable butchers are increasingly encouraging people to move beyond the basics.

The good folks at Frankie Fenner love a bit of short rib or brisket when it comes to exploring different cuts.

In short (rib)[see what we did there?] – if the slightly out there cuts scare you, then silverside or topside will do.

The next question is how much do you need? This one is tricky. Most warm-blooded South Africans will tell you: you can’t ever have enough. But this is the time of VAT increases and expensive living – so the rule of thumb is between 80 – 150g per person, and then bulk it up with some tasty sides.

However, it is best to buy a big chunk – not only does it make roasting easier, it is also often cheaper to buy in bulk and use the leftovers of your roast in dishes during the week.

A delicious steak sarmie? Done.

Or what about a lovely bit of tacos?

Yeah, you get us. Leftovers should not be shunned, in fact, they should be embraced and coveted.

What to look for in a cut of perfect roast beef?

You want a layer of fat that runs across the top or small slivers of fat (often called marbling) that runs in the meat – this stops the meat from drying out during the cooking process.

A good cut of sirloin. Photo: Pixabay

If it all sounds a bit too much, don’t worry, here’s a quick guide on cuts of meat that can be used for a perfect roast

Rib of beef – usually cooked on the bone

Sirloin – yeah, you know, like your steak? Do you think the cow just comes in sectioned steaks? Nah uh. This usually has slightly less fat.

Topside, silverside or top rump – these can be quite lean, but ask your butcher to leave a bit for you.

Fillet – no fat on top here, but a good fillet will have some nice marbling running through it. This cut is also the most expensive of the lot. It works best for Beef Wellington and is recommended if you’re trying to cut calories.

Good marlbing. Photo: rohes rindfleisch /

Now onto the actual cooking process. And it is a process.

How to cook the perfect beef roast

Before you even begin, remove the beef from the fridge at least an hour before so that it can come up to room temperature. Just let it sit. Don’t touch it.

When you’re ready to cook, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Get stuck in there and rub the mix all over.

You can also get a super, deep, rich flavour by melting a stock cube in just a bit of water, adding some pepper and letting the mix cool. Then rub this all over the meat.

Cooking time for the perfect roast beef

Once you’ve prepped, preheat your oven to 240°C. Pop the beef in and roast it on high for 15 minutes, then drop the temperature down to 190°C.

All the pros use a meat thermometer (pushed into the thickest part of the joint), if you have one, this is what you’re looking for on the thermometer:

Rare 60°C

Medium 70°C

Well done 80°C

If you don’t have a thermometer, don’t stress. Here’s a rough guide on how long to cook your roast beef for. Note though, this is just a guide – and cooking times may vary.

Rare – blast on the highest heat as above and add 11-13 mins on the reduced heat for every 500g.

Medium – on the high heat and add 16-18 mins on the reduced heat for every 500g.

Well done – in on high and then 22-24 mins on the reduced heat for every 500g.

If you want to get really fancy, you can also use feel to judge how your beef is getting on. This is usually used to test how a steak is cooked, but can work with roast beef too with a bit of practice.

How to use your hand to feel how well done your roast beef is

Make an OK sign with your fingers by holding out our hand.

Feel the base of your thumb – that’s what you’re looking for in a rare joint.

Touch your middle finger to the tip of your thumb – that’s medium.

Touch the tip of your ring finger to your thumb – this is medium well.

Touch your pinky to your thumb – that’s well done.

This method is slightly more experienced, but cooking by feel is such an important skill to learn, if you can master it, you’ll never need to fret about cooking times again.

Resting your roast beef

This is possibly the most important part of the perfect roast beef. Resting. This step is neglected by far too many people. It will elevate an okay roast beef dinner to a lip-smacking, lick-your-late level roast

How to rest roast beef

Allowing the meat to sit (or rest) before serving let’s all the juices that have come to the centre of the joint to go back through it and be reabsorbed. The result is a juicy, tender cut.

Once cooked, remove your meat from the oven and the heat and put it on warm plate, serving tray or platter. It’s okay to put these in the oven to heat up quickly.

The time you rest your meat will depend on the size of your roast beef. A roast is best rested for ten to 20 minutes before carving.

Chefs go by a rule of thumb – one-minute resting time for every 100g of meat.

What to serve your roast beef with

This is really up to you. A top tip is to use all those roasting juices to make a delicious gravy. The rest? Well, your options are endless. Have some roast poatest. Yorkshire puddings. Veggies (yes, we know)… or add a bit of South African flair and have some pap (why not?!)